Knowledge of the causes maximizes the control success
If the triggering factors for an infestation with lice are known, the fight against the cause starts and is all the more effective. Otherwise, the pests will only disappear for a short time and the aphid-free time will be short-lived. The pests prefer to haunt weakened basil, so you should take a close look at its care. This is where lice like to strike:
- in locations with poor air circulation
- where cold drafts and lighting that is too dark prevail
- of basil with a waterlogged root ball
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In particular, lice target plants that are stressed by an inadequate supply of nutrients. If such failures come to light in the course of researching the cause, they should be remedied immediately.
How to fight lice on basil sustainably
The long list of environmentally friendly and health-friendly agents against lice is filled with liquid-based recipes. Classics such as the soft soap solution, the milk-water mix or tobacco brew, however, prove to be counterproductive with basil. There is little point in watering the herb plant from below and spraying the foliage daily with home remedies for aphids. How to do it right:
- Examine royal herb daily on the upper and lower side of the leaves for lice
- at the first sign of an infestation dust with primary rock powder
- alternatively sprinkle with pure charcoal ash
Both pesticides are purely biological and are washed out before consumption. As an immediate measure, a vigorous shower of the pests is possible, provided the basil plant can then dry off quickly in the airy place.
Targeted scaring off of ants
Lice on basil excrete honeydew, on which ants are wild. So that this sweet source does not run dry, the clever crawfish defend aphids with vehemence. If necessary, they even drag the beasts to the nearest plant to 'milk' them there.
Therefore, lay out lemon wedges that are peppered with cloves. In this way you disturb the ants' sense of direction so that they can no longer find their way to the aphids.
Tips & Tricks
In a natural garden, aphids have bad cards on basil. Wherever there are enough places to retreat to for birds, ladybugs, ground beetles or parasitic wasps, the pests are immediately destroyed. Even a hollow tree trunk, a brushwood pile, a dry stone wall or a hedge invite the beneficial insects to linger.
GTH
